5 takeaways: Puyallup wears Lakes down in 44-16 win on Saturday
The Vikings started slow, but Puyallup flipped a switch in the second half, going on to beat visiting Lakes on Saturday afternoon at Sparks Stadium, 44-16. Here’s what we learned from Puyallup’s win.
THIS SEASON, IT PAYS TO BE FLEXIBLE WITH SCHEDULING
Puyallup was originally supposed to play rival Rogers in a 4A SPSL matchup, and Lakes was supposed to play Stadium in the 3A PCL. But Rogers and Stadium’s COVID-19 issues forced cancellation of both games. Once there was an opening with the programs, both Puyallup and Lakes athletic directors jumped on the chance to play each other.
It came together on Tuesday, leaving both programs with a short window to scout and gameplan. But no one seemed to mind.
“It was actually pretty calm,” Puyallup coach Gary Jeffers said of the week of practice. “They adjusted well. I think they were so excited just to get a game. Our kids are just so happy to play.”
Jeffers, who coached previously at Washington High School, faced Lakes and Dave Miller from 1997 to 2003. Saturday’s game marked the first time he beat Miller head-to-head, he said.
Being flexible with scheduling will be a must for high school athletics programs across all sports for the remainder of the school year. One positive test result can be enough to shut a program down for two weeks, so programs will have to adjust on the fly.
PUYALLUP WEARS YOU DOWN
Lakes came out swinging. With under three minutes to go in the first half, the Lancers held a 10-7 lead, and were moving the ball effectively, for the most part. On defense, Lakes was limiting Puyallup’s balanced attack.
After that? Puyallup scored 37 points to close out the game, only answered by a late fourth-quarter score by Lakes.
“They’re really good up front and they wore us down,” Miller said. “They’re a really good football team. They have a really good team, good quarterback.”
On both sides of the ball, Puyallup’s line play is some of the best in the state. And on offense, the Vikings keep things moving with a quick-tempo game. Lakes drew numerous penalties trying to sub players on and off the field while Puyallup was on the move.
“This year, it’s a combination of just the physicalness of our offensive line and our tempo,” Jeffers said. “I think tempo is a huge advantage. We’re very fortunate that we have quite a bit of depth on our offensive and defensive lines. So we can give our kids a break. A lot of other teams don’t necessarily have that luxury. Eventually, tempo takes its effect.”
On Puyallup’s opening drive in the third quarter, the Vikings strung together an 11-play, 77-yard drive, capped off by a Ziere Ford 9-yard touchdown run. It gave Puyallup a 24-10 lead and set the tone for the second half.
“It definitely did — that was our plan,” said Puyallup quarterback Luke Holcomb, who completed 15 of 21 passes for 213 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. “We were coming out, we just wanted to keep our foots on their necks and really establish what we were going to do in the second half. We did that perfectly, I thought.”
SERMON WILSON IS A FORCE IN THE PASS RUSH
The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Central Washington signee and defensive end was just relentless for Puyallup in the pass rush, blowing through Lakes’ line, sacking Lakes QB Justin Brennan on multiple occasions. Even when he wasn’t recording sacks, he was making life uncomfortable for Brennan, chasing him out of the pocket, diving for shoestring tackles and forcing him to throw the ball away.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time,” Wilson said. “It’s kind of just second nature now. I got that motor, got that hunger. I love this game, this is all I do. … Our line starts it off for both sides. We have a big, strong offensive line and big, strong defensive line. That’s where this game is won, down in the trenches.”
Jeffers is used to seeing these types of performances from his senior.
“He’s a pretty high IQ football player,” Jeffers said. “He watches film, he knows what’s going on. He knows what’s happening down and distance, knows what he’s facing in his opponent. And he’s particularly quick for a guy on the defensive line. He’s 225 pounds but he’s lean, fast. That combination of preparation, having a strong football IQ and then just being quick. You see it at all levels. If you can get a quick, powerful guy against a tackle, a lot of times, they’ll give them some trouble.”
PUYALLUP BALANCED ON OFFENSE
High school coaches and defensive coordinators like to try to make teams one dimensional. Good luck doing that against the Vikings. Last week, Ziere Ford ran for four touchdowns and caught one touchdown pass. He was still plenty productive on Saturday, rushing for 172 yards and a touchdown.
But this week, it was Holcomb’s time to shine at quarterback and the receivers who had a big day. Holcomb, who threw for 213 yards, tossed four touchdown passes to his receivers. Jordan Dwyer caught seven passes for 87 yards and two touchdowns. Angel Sanchez caught three passes for 75 yards and a touchdown. And Jaylan King caught a 32-yard touchdown pass.
“All glory goes to the coaches, to the o-linemen,” Holcomb said. “They’re doing a great job. They’re making great plays and we’re just executing all around. When we’re executing and on point, balance happens.”
Puyallup scored 46 points against Bethel last week and 44 this week against Lakes, while holding opponents to 18 and 16 points in those wins, respectively. That margin of victory might be surprising to some, but not to Holcomb.
“People tend to continue to underestimate us sometimes,” Holcomb said. “We love proving people wrong. That’s all I can say.”
LAKES QB BRENNAN LOOKS SHARP
Puyallup’s defense adjusted well in the second half and Lakes was playing from behind, making life more difficult for quarterback Justin Brennan. But it was an impressive outing, nonetheless. Particularly in the first half, when he completed 14 of 19 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown, on a perfectly thrown deep ball to David Wells.
Brennan finished the game completing 19 of 28 passes for 215 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
“The last few weeks in practice, he’s been as good as we’ve had,” Miller said. “He’s got a good arm, he can throw it a long way, he’s accurate, he’s smart, he’s tough. You can see his competitiveness. I think today, for the first time, he had guys rushing him that he couldn’t just run away from. So you gotta learn a little more to maybe throw it out when you have (Sermon Wilson) chasing you. He’s not the normal guys we see in our league every week.”
This story was originally published February 27, 2021 at 5:26 PM.
